Responding to the recent statement from Ras Al-Khaimah claiming he has been found guilty on yet more trumped up charges, a spokesman on behalf of Dr Khater Massaad’s legal team responded:

“Dr Massaad has learned only today, through RAK’s statement to selected media, that he was apparently found guilty of embezzlement by a RAK criminal court four weeks ago. Dr Massaad has not even had access to, nor has he seen, this purported judgement, rendered in absentia.

“He was never notified of, nor even knew about, these proceedings and has, as a result and once again, not been able to properly defend himself.

“The facts underlying this alleged conviction, as presented and summarized in RAK’s statement, are incorrect and fiercely denied by Dr Massaad, as are all other allegations contained in the release.

“This in absentia judgment is the likely result of yet another sham trial orchestrated directly or indirectly by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, the ruler of Ras Al-Khaimah, to repress civil claims about to brought against him by Dr Massaad for unpaid compensation as adviser to Saud for more than 10 years, or to harm Dr Massaad’s competing tile manufacturing business, developed flourishingly since his voluntary departure from RAK in 2012.”

Notes to editors

All prior legal attempts to date by RAK against Dr Massaad and others have failed and even been denied by several courts in a number of international jurisdictions; the only partial success was by extracting a confession under duress from another individual after forcibly abducting and holding him for over a year, without trial, in a private RAK prison.

Dr Khater Massaad was never an employee of RAKIA, but according to the Trust document under which he was engaged he had complete power of attorney “to authorize any person he deems appropriate to execute his powers”. Under such a power of attorney he was able to do what was needed for the benefit of RAKIA. He cannot be tried for such decisions.

Ras Al-Khaimah sought Dr Massaad’s extradition in response to his claim for his full remuneration for building up RAKIA into a successful company. This is their way of avoiding to have to pay him.

The trumped-up charges brought against him in October 2015 were based on an improperly motivated decision which was unsupported by any true evidence, in a trial held in absentia and without the basic legal right of being notified before or after the trial of the purported investigation conducted against him.

Dr Massaad was not arrested on an Interpol arrest warrant as the agency requires a higher standard of proof required for such an action which was not forthcoming in his show trial in October 2015.